Thill-coupling.



No. 646,568. Patented Apr. 3,1900.

'0. c. BRADLEY.

THILL COUPLING;

' (Application filed Aug, 28 1599. (No Model.)

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PETERS c0. flfimoumo WASHINGTON n c UNITED V STATES PATENT OFFICE...

CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK.

THlLL- COUPLINGF SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.646,568, dated April 3, 1900. Application filed August 28, 1899. SerialNo. 728,703. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. BRAD- LEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in'Thill-Oouplings, ofwhich the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to a thill-coupling of the kind in which thedraft-eye is composed of a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw and in which themovable jaw is closed by a spring device which permits theready openingor closing of the jaw and which exerts a yielding pressure upon themovable jaw and causes the eye to tightly grasp the wrist of the thillor pole iron.

The object of this invention is the production of a simple and efficientcoupling of this kind in which the divided draft-eye is attached to the'thill or pole iron and which can be used, if desired, in connectionwith the ordinary draft clips and bolts with which buggies and otherlight vehicles are supplied,in which case the use of this couplingrequires no change in the draftdevices of the vehicles.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved thill-coupling, showing the draft-eye closed. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the coupling inhorizontal section, taken in line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aside elevationshowing the coupling open. Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing thecoupling applied toan ordinary straight draft-bolt on the vehicle. Fig.6 is a'horizontal section in line 6 6, Fig.5.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures. 1

A represents the front axle of the vehicle.

B, Figs. 1 to 4, represents the draft-plate, which is secured 'tothe'lower side of the axle by a clip 0 and which is provided in front ofthe axle with forwardly-projecting jaws b and a transverse draft-bolt b.The'latter, which connects the front ends of the jaws b, is preferablyformed in one piece therewith and is provided with a sphericalenlargement or knuckle 19 to which a leather Washer 11 is applied.

D represents the end portion of the thill or pole, and D the metallicstrap which is secured to the under side thereof and carries at itslower end the jaws E E of the draft-eye.

The upper jawE is stationary and formed in one piece with the strap orthill iron D, while the lower jaw E is pivoted at its front end to thestationary jaw by a hinge-pin e. These j aws-are provided with sphericalcavities and grasp the spherical knuckle and washer 12 b The rear endsof the jaws are sufficiently separated when closed upon the washer toallow for wear.

F" represents a bent or bow spring,which is secured at one end to theunder side of the movable jaw E and pivoted at its opposite end to aclamping elbow-lever G. The latter is composed of a short arm 9 and along arm g. The short arm 9 extends from the pivot h of the lever to thehill-iron, while the long arm 9 extends from the pivot along the underside of the thill-iron, but at a distance therefrom, and is so shaped orcurved that the lever can be conveniently manipulated. The lever restswith its short arm against the thill-iron, which is preferablyconstructed adjacent to the pivotal end of the movable jaw with adepression 2', in which the short arm of the lever seats itself whenthemovable jaw is closed. When the chill or pole is applied to thedraft-bolt and knuckle and the movable jaw is in its closed position, inwhich it is represented in Fig. 1, the short arm 9 of the clam ping-lever bears against the thill-iron and presses the free end of thespring away from the fixed end, which is secured to the movable jaw; Thespring therefore presses the movable jaw against the draft-bolt andknuckle, causing the jaws of the draft-eye to grasp the knuckle and itswasher tightly. By pressing the free end of the clamping-lever away fromthe thill-iron the short arm of the lever is swung out of the recess ofthe thilliron and away from the latter, whereby the movable jaw isreleased. The latter can now be turned on its hinge and opened, asrepresented in Fig. 4.

The clamping-lever is preferably provided at a short distance above itsshort arm with 'a projecting stoplc for limiting the movement of thelong arm of the lever toward the thill-arm.

In the construction represented in Figs. 5 and 6 my improvedthill-coupling is applied to an ordinary straight draft-bolt Z, such asis often used on buggies or other light vehicles. As shown in thesefigures, this bolt is inserted transversely through the jaws Z of anordinary draft-clip L, which is secured to the axle in the usual manner.The jaws of the draft-eye are in this case constructed with straightsemicylindrical cavities to fit the straight cylindrical washer 'm,which is applied to the draft-bolt in the usual manner.

My improved coupling can be used for connecting the thill or pole ironwith the ordinary straightdraft-bolt of a vehicle, in which case nochange is required in the draft devices which are secured to thevehicle; but when itis desired to avoid the lateral play andconsequentrattling which is liable to occur in the use of the ordinarystraight draft-bolt the spherical draft-knuckle andcorrespondinglyshaped jaws of the draft-eye are employed.

m represents a safety-loop, which may be formed at the free end of thepivoted jawE.

I claim as my invention 1. In athill-coupling, the combination with thefixed jaw and the movable jaw pivoted at its front end to t e fixed jaw,of a spring secured to the free nd of the movable jaw,

and a clamping-lever pivoted to the free end of said spring and bearingagainst the fixed jaw in closing the movable jaw, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination with the thill or pole iron provided with a.rearwardly-projecting fixed jaw and a movable jaw pivoted at its frontend thereto, of a bow-spring secured at one end to the movable jaw, andaclampinglever pivoted to the opposite end of said spring and adapted tobear against the thill or pole iron, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the thill or pole iron provided wit-l1 arearwardly-projeeting fixed jaw, and a movable jaw pivoted at its frontend to the thill or pole iron, which latter is provided with adepression in front of said movable jaw, of a bow-springseeured at oneend to the movable jaw, and a clamping elbow-lever pivoted to theopposite end of said spring and having its short arm adapted to engagein said depression when the movable jaw is closed, substantially as setforth.

Witness my hand this Zth day of August, 1899.

CHRISTOPHER O. BRADLEY.

\Vitnesses:

CALVIN S. BUNNELL, F. L. SCHARFF.

